Drop-head table and cabinet.



L. KIESLER. DROP HEAD TABLE AND CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED L (A'B. 4, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

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L. KIESLER.

" DROP HEAD TABLE AND CABINET;

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1908. 4

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 BHEBTS-SHEET 2.

l l l u l l l 1 I l l awe/M101, Leo Kwsler l mttowu I I I LEO KIESLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DROP-HEAD TABLE AND CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 4, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 419,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO KIESLER, citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Head Tables and Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of tables and cabinets generally known as drop head tables and cabinets,

in which the top or table proper is provided with a movable section for the support of a machine of some character, such as a sewing machine or a typewriting machine, which movable section is operative to drop or lower the supported machine to ino erative position below the general lane of t e table and into a suitable inc osing receptacle when the machine is not in use, and to elevate the supported machine to o erative position above the plane of the tab e when it is desired to use the machine. In tables and cabinets of this character it is obviously desirable that a simple and effective means should be provided for locking the movable section in raised position, and for releasing the same to permit of its being lowered when so desired.

To provide an improved means for such purpose has been the object of my present invention.

In carrying a referred form of my invention into effect, attach to the table at opposite ends of the movable section two ivotally supported locking blocks whic are operative to automatically engage and lock t e said section upon the raising of the same to bring the supported machine to operative osition. In connection with these locking looks I prefer to employ, as a further feature of my invention, a means for releasing the blocks from looking osition when it is desired to lower the mac ine to ino erative position; and as a simple and esirable means for accomplishing such purpose I attach to the movable table section two lock-releasing devices operative by a single actuating device for effecting a simultaneous lock-releasing action of the two locking blocks.

These and other features of my invention will be hereinafter referred to in detail in con nection with the accom anying drawings forming part of this speci cation, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a drophead table embodying my invention, with the movable parts in the position they occupy when a sup orted machine is in operative position, t at is, with the swinging leaf open and the movable machine-supporting table section raised. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the same through line 2-2 of Fig. 1, also showing in dotted lines the movable table section in lowered osition. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing in bottom plan the locking blocks and their cooperating releasing devices. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in vertical section through line 44 of Fig. 1, showing in side elevation and section the locking blocks and their cooperating releasing devices. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the locking blocks and its supporting bracket frame.

Similar reference characters in the several figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

As hereinbefore suggested, my invention may be a plied to a table, cabinet, or any other simi ar structure having a movable section thereof operative to lower a su ported machine to an inoperative osition be ow the plane of the table proper w on the machine is not in use, and to elevate the machine to an o erative osition above the plane of the tab e when it is desired to use the same. Because of such adaptability of the invention, I have shown only so much of the table or cabinet as is necessary to illustrate the invention, that is, a table proper, indicated at 2, and a movable machine-supporting section'of the table, indicated at 3, the said movable section being shown in the present case as havin a hinged connection at one edge to the ta le by hinge-pins 4, 4;.

In the present case I have attached a pair of my improved locking blocks 5, 5, to the table 2 in position for engaging the movable section 3 at opposite ends thereof to firmly support the same, but I wish it understood that only one locking block located in suitable position might be employed if so desired without departure from my invention.

The locking blocks 5, 5, are pivotally su ported at the sides of the opening in the tab e 2 in which the movable section 3 is received, with their upper ends movably held in nor- 'mal position for engaging the under side of said section 3 when the latter is raised, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The locking blocks as thus supported project at their upper ends into the path of movement of the section 3, but being movabl'y held in such normal osition, they will be 0 erative to be moved backward from they pat of said section by the engagement of the section therewith when being moved upward past the same, and to automatically return to their said normal position of locking engagement with the section subsequent to raising of the latter past the same, as shown.

The locking blocks 5, 5, may be supported by the table 2 in any desired manner, the same in the present case being each pivoted within an opening 6 of a bracket-plate 7 secured to the table 2 at opposite ends of the movable section 3; these said bracket plates 7 being also each provided with an overhanging lip 7 as a means for engaging with the section 3 to limit its upward movement.

As a means for movably holding the locking blocks in normal locking positionwith their upper ends projecting outwardly from the face of the bracket-plates, I have provided springs for acting against them at their rear side; these springs being shown as flat springs 8 attached at one end to the bracket-plates.

The movement of the upper ends of the locking blocks in a direction outwardly from the face of the bracket-plates may be limited by1 any suitable means. In the present case I ave formed adjacent portions of each locking block and its supporting bracket-plate with cam surfaces, as indicated at 9 and 10, which cooperate to control the outward movement of the locking blocks in a manner as clearly shown in Fig. 4. As a further feature of the support of the locking-blocks by their bracket-plates, I have formed each locking block with a cam surface 11 at its lower end which is operative to engage with the adjacent lower wall or surface 12 of the bracket-plate when the locking block is in looking position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, whereby the wei ht of the supported parts on the locking bIocks will be taken by the bracket-plate and all strain on the pivot pin 13 relieved.

With the locking means thus far described, it will be understood that when the section 3 is raised from a lowered osition, its ends will engage the locking locks and force them laterally out of its path, and that when the said section is raised to a position above the locking blocks, the latter will then automatically move under the action of the springs 8 to locking position at the under side of the section. In order to now lower the section 3 it will be necessary to release the locking blocks from engagement with said section, and the means rovided for this purpose will now be descri ed.

Iivoted to the under side of the section 3 by a pivot-screw 15 is a lever 16 arranged witha part 17 thereof engaging the face side of the adjacent locking block 5 and having an o erating handle 18 extending upward t rough an opening in the section 3 to a convenient position to be reached by the opera tor. By moving this lever 15 in the proper direction by means of its operating handle, it will operate to move the engaging locking block laterally from its locking position beneath the section 3, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This described lock releasing device is operative and complete for use in connection with one locking block, but when two locking blocks are used as in the present case, it is desirable that means be provided for releasing both blocks simultaneously. To do this I have rovided a second lock-releasing device in the form of a rod 20 which is slidably supported at the under side of the section 3 in brackets 21, 21, with one end engaging the lever 16 and its other end engaging the second locking block 5. With this combination and arrangement of parts, movement of the lever 16 to release its adj a cent locking block as described, will also cause a movement of the rod 20, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to release its engaging locking block.

The rod 20 in the present case is shown as being round in cross section and in order to maintain its laterally bent ends in operative horizontal position I have provided the lever 16 with a hook 22 for engaging the adjacent end of said rod as shown.

The section 3 may be raised by hand, or by means of some connecting device, such as the hinged extension leaf 25 shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, which has connection with the section 3 through the medium of a flexible connection 26. The particular means, however, for raising and lowering the section 3 forms no part of my present invention and does not ali ect it in any way.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of locking means supported by the table for automatically engaging said section at opposite sides thereof upon the raising of the same, and means independent of connection with the locking means carried by said section and movable thereby to and from operative position for engaging with and releasing said locking means from looking position to permit dropping of the section.

2. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of locking means supported by the table at opposite sides of said section for automatically engaging the section upon the raising of the same, and means independent of connection with the locking means carried by said section and movable thereby to and from operative position for engaging with and releasing said locking means from looking position to permit dropping of the section.

3. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of a pivoted locking block supported by the table and operative to automatically engage and lock said movable section upon the raising of the same, and means carried by said section at the under side thereof for releasing said locking means from looking position to permit dropping of the section, said releasing means having an operating part extending to a position at the upper side of the section.

4. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of a pivoted locking block supported by the table and operative to automatically engage and lock said movable section upon the raising of the same, and a lever pivoted to the under side of said section for releasing said locking means from locking position to permit dropping of the section, said releasing lever having an operating part extending to a position at the upper side of the section.

5. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of pivoted locking blocks supported by the table and being operative to automatically lock said movable section at opposite sides thereof upon the raising of the same, and means carried by said section at the under side thereof for releasing said locking means from looking position to permit dropping of the section, said releasing means having an operating part extending to a position at the upper side of the section.

6. The combination with a table havin a movable section operative to drop below t e plane of the same, of pivoted locking blocks supported by the table and being operative to automatically engage and lock said movable section at opposite sides thereof upon the raising of the same, and means including a pivoted lever and a sliding rod carried by said section at the under side thereof for releasing said locking means from looking position to permit dropping of the section, said releasing means having an operating part extending to a position at the upper side of the section.

7. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of a frame, and a locking block mounted on a horizontal pivot carried by said frame and being operative to engage the table section and lock the same in raised position the said block having a cam surface operative to engage the frame when the block is in locking position and maintain the weight of the table section independent of the block pivot.

8. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of a frame, and a locking block mounted on a horizontal pivot carried by said frame and being operative to engage the table section and lock the same in raised position; the said block having a cam surface below its pivot operative to engage the frame when the block is in looking position and maintain the weight of the table section independent of the block pivot.

9. The combination with a table having a movable section operative to drop below the plane of the same, of a frame having an opening therein, and a locking block pivoted to said frame within its opening and being operative to project through said opening into position to engage the table section and lock the same in raised position; the said block having a cam surface operative to engage the frame and limit the outward movement of the block through the said opening of the frame.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 28th day of February A. D. 1908.

LEO KIESLER. Witnesses:

OHAs. F. DANE, JANE B. LE BLANO. 

